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(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. B. FIELD.

PURIPYING, HEATING AND GONDENSING- APPARATUS. No. 272,831. PatentedFeb.'20, 1883.

IN 88 INVE/VTOI? .4 i I, Q I Ahdrney N. FETERE. Pnulo-Limogmpmr.\Vasmngion. D. (:Y

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A 1- B-PIELD.

PURIPYING, HEATING AND OONDBNSI-NG APPARATUS.

vN0. 272,831. Patented FebAZO, 1888.

3R 1- if? I I INVEYVTOH k v MSLQL a M Attorney N. PHERS.Fhmo-Liihognpher, Washmgluu. D. c.

TATES eEoReE B; FiELD, or NEW YORK, N. Y;

PURIFYBNG, HEA'TlNG, AND CONDENSING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming" part of Letters Patent No. 272,831, datedFebruary 20, 1883. Application filed July 12, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. FIELD, of

New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, haveinventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Purifying, Heating, andCondensing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in devices designed for thepurification ot'water, the object of the invention being to provide adevice of this character adapted to fulfill, in addition to itsprimaryfunction, theadditional functions of a heater and condenser.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter.

described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective of adevice constructed in accordance with my invehtion, and Fig.2 is a viewthereof in vertical cross-section.

A is a receiving-chamber, of any desired form and construction, intowhich the water to be purified is primarily introduced through theupright pipe 0, which is provided with a stop-cock, D, to regulate theelevation of the water in the porous filtering-columns E. The said pipeis also provided with a stop-cock, F, the function of which lies inclosing the pipe when the action of the apparatus is reversed for thepurpose of cleaning the porous filtering-columns aforesaid.

G is a cock for withdrawing from the receiver the sediment depositedfrom the water and collected therein.

H is a secondary chamber, preferably conforming in cross-section to asimilar section taken through the primary receiver A, from which it isseparated by a diaphragm, I, provided with perforations J, thoseportions of the diaphragm surrounding the perforations being depressedto form suitable receptacles, K, to receive the lower ends of the porousfiltering-columns E. The adaptation ofthediaphragm to receive the saidcolumns is, however, a matter which may be greatly varied, and I do notlimit myself to the construction shown herein.

The pipe L, attached to the secondary receiver, fulfills athi'eel'old'function, in that it afl'ords means for withdrawing thepurified water and the water of condensation from the said secondaryreceiver, it atfords an escape for the steam which is not condensed inthe said chamber, and it affords means of introducing water into thechamber for conducting the operation of cleansing the porous columns E.The said pipeis provided with a stop-cock, M, to regulate the elevationofthe waterwithin thereceiverHduringtheoperationofcleansing the porouscolumns by reversing the direction of the percolation of the waterthrough them. It is also provided with a stop-cock, N, through which thepurified water is withdrawn. The columns are formed from a compositionof clay and sawdust, the latter being burned out to render them porous.They are preferably prepared in shortsections andjoined together bycement, by gaskets,or by any suitable means of union.

- Perforated pipes I, located in the center of the columns E, arearranged to extend into the primary receiving-chamber A to a point belowthe level at which the water enters the same through the pipe 0. Thesepipes perform an important function in conveying the impuritiesabstracted from the water to the chamber A, as will be hereinafterdescribed. Ordinarily the pressure of the water being filtered willalone be relied upon to eliect and facilitate filtration. If, however,it is desired to increase the amount ofwater filtered in any given time,the head of the water may be increased, or artificial pressure may beresorted to. In such case the open and upper ends of the porous columnsE are hermetically closed by caps Q, provided with screw-stems R, thesame being adapted to impinge against the head S of the secondaryreceiver H, said head being provided with a man-hole, T, through whichthe interior of the said receiver is rendered accessible. The head ofthe cylinder is also provided with a, short section, U, of pipe, whichis connected with the steam-exhaust of the engine.

Having described the construction of my device, 1 will now set forth themethod of its operation.

The water which it is desired to purify is IOC first introduced into thepipe 0, from thence flowing into the primary reservoir A, in which itwill rise and fill the porous columns E, the same being prevented fromoverflowing bythe stop-cock D. The water will now filterthrough thewalls of the said porous columns, and, exuding from them, fiowinto thesecondary chamher, from which itis withdrawn through the stop-cock N ofthe pipe 0. The character'of the porous columns is so perfectly adaptedto the purposes of filtration that in passing through them theimpurities with which the water is impregnated are eliminated. After atime the inner walls of the said columns will become so coated with thedeposit from the water that the filtration thereof will be interrupted.To relieve this difficulty and to remove the deposit, the direction ofthe percolation of the water through the columns is reversed. This isefi'ected by introducing water into the secondary chamber through thepipe L,-the water so introduced percolating through and into the columnsE, thence descending into the primary chamber A, this reversal ofcurrent being continued until the inner walls of-the columns are washedclean and the pores relieved of all foreign substances.

If desired to force the filtration, or, in other words, to increase thequantity of water filtered in any given time, the head of the waterbeing filtered may be increased, or artificial pressure may be used inconjunction with the head of water at hand. If desired to force thefiltration as above, the columns E are hermetically closed by the capsQ, which are adjusted in position and forced down on the tops of thecolumns by reversing the stems R until the upper extremities impingeagainst the head of the receiver H, the operations of adjusting saidcaps being conducted by a workmau,who enters the said receiver throughthe man-hole T. By closing the stop-cock D and introducing water underpressure into the pipe O, the columns will be completely filled withwater, which will percolate through them with a rapidity dependent uponthe pressure.

So far the device has been considered only in connection with itsprimary function as a filter; but it has other important functions as acondenser and a heater when used in connection with a steam-engine.

In order to avoid the formation of scales and to prevent theaccumulation of incrustations in steam-boilers, it is necessary tosupply them with perfectly pure water, and with this object in view itis desirable, from an economical standpoint, to utilize theexhaust-steam from the engine, which condenses into pure water. Mydevice-is especially well adapted to effect such condensations,utilizing at the same time the sensible heat to be derived from thesteam for heating the filtered water before its transmission to theboiler, and in heating and effecting desirable reactions in theunfiltered water. The exhaust-steam is introduced into the secondaryreceiver through the pipe U, which is connected with the steam-exhaustof an engine, the steam, which at once expands to fill the receiver,being alone condensed by the large exposure of condensing-surface withwhich it is brought in contact. The water of condensation falls to thebottom of the receiver, and, mingling with the filtered water therein,is drawn off through the stop-cock N of the pipe L. The sensible heatimparted by the exhaust-steam to the contents of the receivingchamberwill, after a time, heat the filtered and unfiltered Water in it to 212Fahrenheit. So far as the filtered water is concerned, it is simplybrought into a desirable condition for feeding to the boiler; but asregards the unfiltered water the action of the heat is still moreimportant. for'by bringing it to a temperature of 212 Fahrenheitreactions take place, which result in the precipitation of many of theimpurities in the water-lime in particular. Theouter walls of thecolumns being the more heated, a series of currents will be connected,which will take the pathsindicated by the arrows, the descendingcurrents entering the central pipes and following them down into thebottom of the primary receiver, where the impurities will be deposited,and from whence they may be withdrawn through the pipe G.

It is apparent that the apparatus may be modified in many particularswithout violating the spirit of myinvention; also, in accommodating myinvention to the requirements resulting from the oscillation of theordinary practical conditions, some changes in the device may benecessary. I would therefore have it understood that I do not limitmyself to the exact construction shown and described, but that I holdmyself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairlyfall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a receiving and a secondary chamber, of aperforated diaphragm interposed between said chambers, and porousfiltering-columns located in the secondary and communicating with thereceiving chamber through the perforations in the diaphragm,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a receiving and a secondarychamber, of aperforated diaphragm located between said chambers, porous filtering-columns located in the secondary and communicating with thereceiving chamber through the perforations in the diaphragm, conduitsassociated with said chambers, and cocks to regulate the elevation ofthe waterin the filtering-columns, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a receiving and a secondary chamber, ofaperforated diaphragm located between said chambers, porousfiltering-columns located in the secondary and communicating with thereceiving chamber through the perforations in the diaphragm, andperforated pipes located in the filteringcolumns and extending into thereceivingchamber, substantially as set forth.

ITO

4. The combination, with a receiving" and a secondarychamber,ot' aperforated diaphragm located between said chambers, porous filter-Ving-columns located in the secondary and communicating with thereceiving chamber through the perforations in .the diaphragm, andadjustable devices adapted to seal the open and upper ends of the porouscolumns, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a receiving and a secondary chamber, of aperforated diaphragm located between said chambers, porousfiltering-columns located in the secondary and communicating with thereceiving chamber through the perforations in the diaphragm, caps toclose the upper and open ends of the porous columns, and screw-stemsinserted in the caps and arranged to impinge against the upper wall ofthe secondary chamber, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, wi h a receiving and a secondary chamber, of aperforated diaphragm located between said chambers, porousfiltering-columns located in the secondary and communicating with thereceiving chamber through the perforations in the diaphragm, inlet anddischarge conduits located in the receiving-chamber, and steam and waterconduits leading, respectively, into and from the secondary chamber,substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a receiving and a secondary chamber, of aperforated diaphragm located between said chambers, porousfiltering-columns loca ed in the secondary and communicating with thereceiving chamber, devices to seal the open ends of the said colu'mns,and conduits leading into said chambers and provided with cocks toproperly deflect the water when the current is reversed for the purposeof cleansing the filtering-columns, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witmesses.

GEO. B. FIELD.

Witnesses: GEo. D. SEYMOUR,

GEO. F. DOWNING.

